A lot of confusion has been made in regards to the real Maya bird in our country. If you would go out right now and ask anyone on the streets and ask what is the maya bird. Around 70 or 80% would point you a little brown bird that can be seen everywhere. In fact the real identity of the bird is very different from the little brown bird that everyone is referring to.

I'm the Maya Bird, Yes I'm the Real Maya Bird

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

The bird that has been confused with the maya bird. A part of the sparrow family it has a chestnut crown and collar with patches of black on it's cheeks. They are found in Eurasia and southeast Asia where its population is widely spread. As stowaway in ships they are also known to reach Egypt, Israel, Dubai and other middle eastern countries. North America is no exception and has a population which has been established in St. Louis. In 1870 there were 12 birds which were introduced from Germany as a part of a project to enhance the birds in the region.

It's diet consist of seeds, grain and insects. It's predators include owls and falcons but here in our country especially in urban areas there are no predators. It's population is steady but does not cause any issues in urban areas. Although in 1958 there was an attempt by China to reduce the damage of the the sparrows to its crops. There was a campaign to eliminate the sparrows. An army of scarecrows and three million people joined the crusade to drive the birds away and force them to die by exhaustion. It was a success for a while but due to the ecological imbalance. The population of insect pest and locusts increased dramatically leading to a famine that caused the death of 30 million people.

A lesson learned thru history that we should not dabble with nature and its cycle. There are always repercussions which will affect our lives and future generation. Unfortunately some still does not learn from the mistakes of the past.

With the introduction of the mistaken identity of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Let me introduce to you the Real Maya Bird which was considered as the National Bird in the Philippines. Its reign lasted until 1995 when it was replaced by the Philippine Eagle as the National Bird of the country.

Chestnut Munia

Also known as the Black headed munia it is a bird with a black head, pale blue grey beak and a brick red body. It is very different from the Eurasian Tree Sparrow although the size is comparable, the difference is very clear. Can be found in Brunai, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and even Hawaii. The population of this bird is not quite dominant than the Eurasian Tree Sparrow and it is rarely seen in our small city. With a diet of grain and seeds they are mostly found in fields and open grasslands.

This is the Maya bird that everyone should be able to recognize. Giving it the proper credit it deserves as once it was considered as the Philippine National Bird.

At the back part of our house is a private lot in which I have a clear view from a window. The lot is being developed but only from time to time. Plants and tall grasses has grown which attracted these birds. There is only a specific time of day when the maya birds appear. They can be seen past noon around 2-4 pm which starts with 2-3 birds and then followed by more later on.

It was just yesterday when I decided to take a couple of shots of these beautiful birds. Armed with my 40-150 mm Olympus zoom lens. I waited in a hot room for a chance to capture some images. All sweaty because of the heat I waited and finally paid off as the birds started to appear.

Where they come from or hide is something I do not know. Two birds came into view and followed by another two more. I felt like I was out birding in the wilds and I did not mind the heat. In an urban small patch of grassland these birds found refuge which bothers me to think that soon the construction would start again.

Removing the tall grasses would drive away these birds. Where would they go to? A small sanctuary sad to say is not forever. What burdens me most is I may also never see them again. Makes me think if we were only well off, we would have purchased this piece of land and planted trees and plants instead. Leaving the small area for the birds to thrive and enjoy their lives in peace.

I noticed that some of them were flying away with dried grass. Could their habitat be close by and preparing a nest. Their nest is like a large dome made of grass and they lay around 4-7 eggs.

A playground for the maya birds which lasts a couple of hours. No one else seems to take notice as the private lot is walled and only the caretakers are allowed inside. I am not even sure if the caretakers are aware of these fine feathered friends.

More of them flew in which was surprising. Unlike the tree sparrow these birds flocked together like a closely tight family. I would like to see them thrive and their population rise. It would be sight if we could see them flying around not only in a small patch of grassland behind our house. What if there is no more place for them to go in our city? How will their population survive? I hope they find a way and another place in a secluded area, in case the owner of the lot starts to clear the place up. Sad but like us life finds a way no matter how hard it is. We survive and continue the fight.

I hope it clears up the confusion of the identity of the real Maya bird. It would take a while to let others know who the real Maya is but this is a start. Maybe one day if I ask someone on the streets, "What is a Maya bird?" I would be pointed to a black headed bird with a brick red body.

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you enjoyed my bird photography in a small patch of urban grassland, looking thru a window in a small hot room.

Resources

Eurasian tree sparrow
Chestnut Munia

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All photos are original and taken with

Lumix GX85 and Olympus 40-150mm